The 2020 Kunming South and Southeast Asian Languages Translation Development Forum kicked off in Kunming on December 24, 2020. 

The themes of this forum are the international cooperation, development and artificial intelligence translation of South and Southeast Asian languages translation. Professional forums, salon discussions and close-door meetings will be adopted to establish a mechanism for cooperation and exchange, which helps build Kunming into a translation base for South and Southeast Asian languages. 

The participants include diplomats from Myanmar, Thailand, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Sri Lanka, experts and scholars from Beijing Foreign Studies University, Yunnan University, Yunnan Normal University, Yunnan Minzu University and so on, and representatives of translation technology enterprises. 

In recent years, universities and colleges in Kunming has offered more well-developed majors in South and Southeast Asian languages and students studying them has increased as well. This forum provides opportunities for Kunming to further cooperate with China Foreign Languages Publishing Administration and academics in China to improve its foreign language learning, study and application environment. 

Kunming has committed itself to build a highland for translation talents of South and Southeast Asian languages, develop translation industry, provide talents support for regional international hub cities and spread Chinese culture.  

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(Editors: Alison, Rachel)